conscious mind

What Gesture Is Good For A useful way to think about gestures is as an early warning system for intent, emotion, and mood. We gesture because our unconscious minds push us to do so with an emotion, an intent, or a desire that our conscious minds are not aware of until after the gesture has […]

We humans are much more communal than we realize. It’s something we’ve forgotten, as we tune in separately to our thousand channels of entertainment and news using devices that isolate us even as they offer pseudo-connections to the group through the music or the headlines or the games. We remember our communality when we get […]

Three things happened to me when I was 17 that turned out to have a significant effect on my interest in communications, and specifically non-verbal communications, later in life. First, I read a book about the Dalai Lama, and took him on as one of my heroes immediately and forever. Second, I learned my father […]

Most of us assume that we are primarily conscious beings with an intellect that plans, weighs objectives and options, and directs action — like having a movie director sitting in our heads. But in fact, our unconscious thought processes are far more sophisticated and influential than we have previously acknowledged. And this counterintuitive fact has […]

Thanks to TV shows like Lie to Me and so-called body language experts commenting on the candidates during the American election season, a number of misunderstandings about body language have become part of modern culture. It’s time to clear the decks. So here goes: 7 surprising truths about body language. 1. Much of what the […]

The realities of 21st century work life, especially post 2008, means many of us have more virtual meetings than face-to-face ones. That represents a huge shift in organizational life in less than a generation. Of course, the purveyors of the high-tech equipment that makes these meetings possible tout the benefits – efficiency, speed, savings on […]

Grown ups learn to conceal their emotions, in the workplace, in social settings, and at home. There are all sorts of reasons to do so, some good, some bad, but it’s useful to be able to detect concealed emotions underneath a bland exterior whether it’s your boss holding back on a job performance issue or […]

This is the first of a series of podcasts based on my book, Trust Me: Four Steps to Authenticity and Charisma. The podcast discusses the difference between what the conscious mind and the unconscious mind do for us when we communicate, and why that's important. It's about 2 1/2 minutes. Enjoy! Trust Me Podcast 1

We’ve evolved to have some extraordinary skills. Chief among them is a whole battery of brain cells and autonomic functions that focus almost exclusively on keeping us alive. All mostly unconscious and incredibly efficient. That’s a good thing. Unfortunately, not so good for public speaking. Because the famous ‘fight or flight’ adrenaline response is marvelous […]